Davey finished his bench yesterday, but today his back seized up. Poor guy was on the floor with ice packs and a yoga ball under his legs. He managed. He was stable enough to sit through Justin's final project and now he's managing between winces to get up and down off the floor to read to the boys.
It's a great thing to do: create something out of leftovers, out of a burn pile. I'm glad he did it. It didn't take long. I told him if he was in my Faith and Art class he would totally have to journal and document this endeavor. I was proud.
It's actually quite warm except for the wind. Near sunset the sun gets low enough under the Chinook clouds to cast a lovely golden light. Dave seized the moment to take a picture of Donovan on the deck with glowing naked trees poking up from the front yard. I liked that too, because that's usually what I do, but this was Dave calling us all out to see something incredible. The picture doesn't do the moment justice, by the way.
Tonight was our Global Awareness dinner and shoebox filling time at the church. We ate rice. And we drank clean water. Better'n some folks get it. Of course we were all salivating for soy sauce, chicken, and salad... anything more. But it was a great reminder. Then we swapped some stories about how being in other countries or encountering poor people has impacted us. And then we filled shoeboxes for children overseas.
My boys had picked out some special gifts earlier in the week, but there were plenty of boxes and gifts on the tables for us to fill 2-3 more. I'm glad they did some of it early. They each included a special note with their picture and that was the coolest. I got a picture of Weston's. Donovan's was very ornate and thoughtful, but he sealed it before I could snap a pic. Donovan was especially tenderhearted, Dave said, when they went shopping. He was buying little warm gloves and hats for a 2-4 year old boy. Everything that went into the box took great decision and the packing was a bit of a puzzle. But we did it.
There were so many colorful things for girls at the church that Donovan even filled a whole other box for a 5-9 year old girl. He was particular, but I liked that. It was as though he knew what each child needed and what they wouldn't care for.
Dave and I usually feel pretty out of touch and moved at the same time at these events.
I liked that we sat around round tables to eat our bowl of rice with other families and I realized that hasn't happened in a long time. We haven't invited many guests over for dinner lately. We've gotten used to just looking out for ourselves.
Again the most telling moment for me comes in writing the card for the shoebox. The moment where I risk being specific and true to who I am and what I hope for. It's a reckoning for me in how I live.
Of course I wish I could give something more. Love. But just like Dave's chair, sometimes you need to just make beauty and purpose out of what's right in front of you, and that principle of beginning will serve in dire times and in plenty. It's affirming too.
It's actually quite warm except for the wind. Near sunset the sun gets low enough under the Chinook clouds to cast a lovely golden light. Dave caught Donovan on the deck with glowing naked tree poking up from the front yard.
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